White Heat
by Celestial Delinquent
Summary: AU – In the private eye business sometimes it pays to have connections in shady places. It's the only reason Coulson came knocking, pulling Loki back into the fiery underbelly of the city. The Hydra Underground is feeding the flames as white heat blinds the night in a searing mix of crime and passion. - Established Loki/OC - 40s Noir Setting - Obviously a bit OOC
1. prologue - the seventh victim

**Summary:** AU – In the private eye business sometimes it pays to have connections in shady places. It's the only reason Coulson came knocking, pulling Loki back into the fiery underbelly of the city. The Hydra Underground is feeding the flames as white heat blinds the night in a searing mix of crime and passion. - Established Loki/OC - 40s Noir Setting - Obviously a bit OOC

**Authors Note:** So I decided to have another adventure in the noir universe. I'd recommend reading the first installment, Ruby Red, before continuing. Anyway, thanks for reading. :)

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><p><strong>prologue<strong>

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><p><strong>~ the seventh victim ~<strong>

_Phil was holed up in an alcove just passed the dock trying hard to see through the thick cloud of fog that had just rolled in. He was a ball of anticipation, knowing full well there wasn't any back-up. Not this time. He was going it alone and he was none too pleased. Across the still water he heard voices. Suddenly a cast of shadows descended on the dock and he narrowed his eyes to get a good look. It was useless though. The thick cloud was covering the city's secrets, hugging her in a dewy white._

_"What the blazes?" he mumbled, realizing he recognized at least one players, but prayed he was wrong._

_Across the open expanse of shimmering water he caught another piece, enough to be sure. It was definitely Loki and no doubt that meant Ruby too. He cursed without realizing and knocked his head on the wall of the rust laden warehouse, startling to attention as he worried he'd given himself away. When he was satisfied that the rumble was just shrugged off as one of the many creaks of the waterlogged buildings, succumbing to salt and moistened air, he went back to brooding. They weren't supposed to be there. They promised to walk away. Who was he kidding though, he was there too, playing the part he was fated just like them. Some things there was just no walking away from..._

_Suddenly the unmistakable pop of gunfire echoed in the night and Phil jumped to attention. Across the way he could see the flashes of the guns as shadows slowly began to drop to the ground. Then there was a scream as one of the shadows teetered back, toppling over the edge of the dock. The sound of the splash echoed just as deafeningly, mingling in a frightening crescendo with the piercing cry._

_He saw Ruby running across the empty dock towards lands edge, navigating through wooden shipping crates and piles of soggy rope as bullets ricocheted behind her. Phil caught sight of the shooter, a Hydra Underground goon he was certain. He steadied his pistol and fired, knowing after all this was over he'd have to answer for what he'd done. He was in the right, but that wouldn't stop the questions. It never did._

_Ruby finally reached him, breathing heavy and clearly out of sorts. The tremble in her blue eyes was a mixture of confusion and dread. Phil stepped forward and gripped her shoulders giving her a jostle to snap her out of it. He needed answers. He needed something._

_"He's dead..." she finally whispered, unable to contain her tears._

_They flowed like glistening jewels across her rosy cheeks. A sorrowful lament, beautifully touching for the one she'd lost, but it came off too surreal. Loki couldn't be gone...but life really was that fleeting._

_Phil ran through the scene, playing back the moments he managed to gleam. Amid all the shots there had been a scream and with it a figure had fallen into the black murky water, sinking towards oblivion at the bottom of some trash strewn wasteland wrought with sand. He felt a pit in his stomach realizing it really was Loki. It had to be. The timing played out perfectly like a dismal glimpse of someone's final bow before life dropped the heavy red velvet curtain._

_"I know," Phil quietly acknowledged, unable to offer any gesture of comfort._

_He'd pulled them all into this mess and now he had blood on his hands. He might not have pulled the trigger, but he'd put them in front of the gun. Loki played dirty, but he didn't deserve to go down like this. He was another casualty of the Hydra Underground and this time...this time they were going to pay._


	2. chapter 1 - detective story

**chapter 1**

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><p><strong>~ detective story ~<strong>

"You ever think of pulling out an advertizement in the Daily Bugle?" Steve asked as he tapped his pencil on his desk.

It was another slow day. A long line of them in fact.

Phil didn't expect things to be easy, but he certainly didn't expect them to be this hard. Turns out the city had a pile of private investigators, washed up cops realizing their skill set made them useless for the regular jobs most schmucks dream of. Phil had a leg up on them though, or maybe a leg down, he was still clean. In a city filled with dirty laundry and piles of grime that was saying something.

"Naw...we'll pick up eventually?" he sighed, hoping it wasn't just a pipe dream swathed in bleary hope.

"Will this be before or after we have to close up shop?" Steve grinned as a silhouette suddenly cast on the frosted pane of their front door.

"Aren't you supposed to be the optimist?" Phil accused as he stood to attention when the silhouette seemed committed to their particular office suite.

It was clearly a dame with too many curves in all the right places. Then right on cue there was a gentle rapping on the door. Steve passed a glance and Phil gave a nod, an okay to let her on in.

As the door swung open Phil found himself staring at a vision. She had fiery orange tresses and beautiful baby blues with a thin smile that read more professional than seductive. She surveyed the room. Though they all do, first time customers trying to figure out if this was really the place to unload their secrets.

"How can I help you..." he paused as he offered her a seat realizing he didn't have a name to go with her unwavering stare.

"The name's Pepper, Pepper Potts," she stated with a shy smile as she slid into the chair.

She straightened out her hemline, though not before the navy fabric slid up enough to flash a hosiery clad knee. Her stockings had the shimmer of silk, expensive and a shade or two deeper than the pale smoothness of her face. She noticed his eyes had wandered as she politely cleared her throat, though gave no further inclination that she was bothered by the attention.

"Nice to meet you Pepper," Phil smiled back as he took a seat across the way, "I'm..."

"Phil Coulson," her smiled widened, "I hope you don't mind I did some research too."

"Not at all. People come to me with secrets. It's only right to know who you're spilling them to."

She regarded him for a moment, briefly glancing to Steve before her eyes returned. She was feeling out the situation, figuring out how much she needed to spill to get them hooked. It was obvious she wasn't about to hand them more crumbs than she had to. Trouble was he didn't like secrets with secrets. Too many layers to navigate. Too many unknowns.

"I found out you were a cop, but were forced to walk away," she casually began, "I figure this might give you some insight, insight that will help you stay alive."

She had his attention, of course, she'd had it the moment she walked in. She was spinning her story, drawing them in. She was good, but he was better. He could see her game a mile away.

"Well, what can I do for you?" he pleasantly asked.

There was no reason to give credence to his skepticism. It would have marred and polluted the exchange. They were getting along so splendidly.

"Something was stolen from my employer," she cautiously stated and Phil knew immediately there was something she wasn't saying.

"Your employer?"

"It might be best if we leave that bit for another day..."

"I can't help you if you aren't straight with me," he interrupted because he had no interest in working for a shadowy figurehead, even if he had such a beautiful dame on his payroll, "This is a two-way street. You're asking me to put my life on the line, so I need to know for who and why."

She shifted and he got a feeling she was ready to bolt. Part of him wanted to stop her, but those were his terms and he wouldn't bend them for anyone. A man had to have rules, but more importantly he had to stand by them, even when they were tested...no...especially when they were tested.

"His name is Tony Stark."

"That two timing low life scum..." Steve started in and Phil passed him a threatening glare.

Phil coughed as he honkered back in his chair, trying to play over Steve's outburst. Steve Rogers and Tony Stark had butted heads once before. He wasn't sure if it would pose a problem, but he had a feeling it would. Steve tried to bust Tony on his first go round in the department, drawing him in on weapon distribution charges. It riled a few feathers and made some waves, but mostly it set Steve back to a desk job, that is before he put in his papers to follow Phil on a fool hearted private eye scheme. And that was just one side of the equation. He had no idea what Tony felt, but somehow he figured the man wouldn't mind one bit. His ego was too inflated to worry about a small time cop gunning for him. He was in a different league.

Despite the possible conflicts Phil smiled. It appeared the man with the guns was in a jamb. There was something poetic about the fact, especially considering how many times Tony Stark had played both sides, thinking somehow he was above it all. The robbers liked him and the coppers needed him, all pinning for the weapons he produced. Should have made him untouchable, but apparently it didn't. That was a fact worth worrying about.

"And something was stolen from him?" Phil finally continued hoping to get the full story before deciding if the case was worth pursuing.

"Yes, a prototype."

She was being vague again so he had to continue the interrogation, "Does it work? Is it dangerous?"

"Yes and no."

"Well, which is it?" he growled, finally reaching his limit of wishy-washy answers.

"It's called an electromagnetic pulse, first of its kind. It has the ability to shut down electronics."

"Hardly seems worth taking."

She laughed before giving him the explanation he really needed, "A single blast can wipe them out across the entire city...cars won't work...lights won't work...If you're a man with a plan it can mean chaos."

"And who took it?" Phil pressed, hardly convinced.

"Someone with a plan," she responded with a faint frown, "Word on the street is it was the Hydra Underground."

Phil joined in the laughter to offer a correction, "Pretty sure their plan is chaos."

"Then I suppose they're poised to see it through..." Pepper quietly remarked and Phil immediately felt the mood darken because he knew it held a pang of truth.


End file.
